Improvement in grain-drills



`2 sheets-sheet 1`v G. W. FARLEY.

Seed-Planter.

No. 51,707. Patented Dec. 26, 1865.

l 2 Sheets- Sheen 2 G. W. FARLEY.

Seed-Planter.

No. 51,707. Pented Dec. 26, 1865.

N. PETERS. PHoTD-LHHQQRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D 3A UNrrap raras "Arenr rtree..

GEORGE W'. FARLEY, OF MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN-DRILLS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. FARLEY, of Manchester, in the county of Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and Improved Seed-Drill Machine, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the eonstruction and operation of the saine, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of machine. Fig. 3 is an interior vertical view of machine. Fig. 4 is the escape tube or pipe. Fig. 5 is a seed-gage. Fig. 6 is the bed on which the seed-valve K rests. Fig. 7 is the seed-valve. Fig. 8 is the hook-shaft, pawl, and part of the wheel E with cogs. Fig. 9 is the pawl. Fig. 1() is the section of the hooltshaft in all places excepting at the notches. Fig. 11 is the section ofthe hook-shaft at the notches. Fig. 12 is side view ot' hopper, showing partition. Fig. 13is an iron flange-plate, and is the bottom of the hopper. Fig. let is the side view of the flanged plate or bottom ot' hopper.

A A are the handles of the machine, and are connected together by the cross-pieces E and F, and are iirmly framed together. This frame has a bearing on two wheels, one in front of the other, and are designed to move in the same track with sufficient space between them to receive the machine. The front wheel, B, is attached to this frame in the same manner that the wheel is attached to a wheelbarrow. The other wheel, C, is larger than B, and has cast on one of its sides cogs. (See Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 8.) .These cogs are cast on different radii of the circle, (as see Figs. 1 and 2,) and there may be as many cogs to each radius as are desired. If there are, say, four cogs to any one radius then four seeds will be laid in one circumference of the wheel C, and so it' five, six, or any number of cogs are cast on any one radius. These cogs then regulate the distance apart of the seed sown. These cogs act on the pawl N, (see Figs. 3 and 8,) which moves the hook-shaft M and also the seed-valve K. The handles A A are suspended above the axle ot' the wheel O by the curved plates D D for the purpose of elevating the handles A A so as to be convenient to be taken hold of by the hands. Said'plates D are attached securely to the cross-pieces E and F.

Between the two wheels B and O, and on the cross-piece F, there is fastened the bed-piece G, just large enough to receive the iron dan ged plate H, which is the bottoni of the hopper. Through this bed-piece G (see Fig. 6) there are three openings, fr, y, and zfor seed, y for the fertilizer, and z for dust that may slip down from or y. These openings lead directly into the escape-pipe J, there bein g corresponding openings in the cross-piece F, and thus allows the seed, Src., to und the way to the ground.

On the upper surface ot the bed-piece G is the seed-valve K, fastened to the bed-piece G by a screw, L, and moves on L as a center. In the seed-valve K there are three openings, corresponding to the three openings in bed G; but when the valve K is not acted on by the hook-shaft M-that is, when the machine is not in motionthe openings in the seed-valve K do not coincide with the openings in G, so that the seed, when the machine is standing still, cannot run out. In one side of the seedvalve K there is a slot, b, in which the hook ot' the hook-shaft operates when the machine is in motion. The hook-shaft M has as a section the larger segment of a circle (see Fig. 10) the whole length of it, from the spiral spring U to the collar a, except at the notches, where the section is as at Fig. 11. Said-hookshaft turns on a collar, a., attached to the curved plate D, and on another collar, d, attached to the bed G, and is always lreptin one position with its hook perpendicular to the seed-valve K by the spiral spring U, which is attached, one end of it to the hook-shaft, the other end of it to the collar d or to the bed G, except when the hook-shaft is acted on by the pawl N. way around until the pawl is released from a cog in the wheel O, when the spiral spring throws the hook-shaft back to its position again, ready to be acted on again by another cog and the pawl.

The pawl, Fig. 9, is madein two parts. One piece is a block ot' metal, O, with two holes drilled into it at right angles to each other, one hole being bored so as to 'occupy a small part of the other hole. One hole is drilled large enough to move easily along the hookshaft M. The other is large enough to receive the arm N of the pawl, and when the arm N of the pawl is inserted in the block O in its In that case the shaft turns part proper place it occupies part of the hole bored to receive the hook-shaft M 5 but the section of the hook-shaft is the larger segment of a circle, (as see Fig. l0.) Consequently :it Willjust fit into the remaining part ofthe hole after the arm N of the pawl is inserted in position, the cord of the segment of hook-shaft (see Fig. l0) moving against the curved side of the arm of the pawl N. The hook-shaft M has notches for the pawl N to operate in. They are made nearly opposite of the cogs in the wheel O, and at each notch the section of the hook-shaft M becomes as seen in Fig. 11, and itis only at these 4notches that the pawl is fixed in position to come in contact with the cogs in the wheel C. Therefore, when it is desirable to change the pawl N from one set of cogs to another, the arm of the pawl N is lifted from the notch in which it has been used and sufficiently high so as to be moved along on the hook-shaft from notch to notch on the section of the hook-shaft corresponding to Fig. l0. When we come to the notch we wish to use the arm of the pawl N is thrown toward the cog-wheel C, and that part of the pawl-arm N that is seen in Fig. J0 in the block O occupying part of the hole bored to receive the hook shaft then will occupy the notch and remain there until it is necessary to move it to another notch.

The escape-pipe J is fastened to the under side of the cross-piece F, and is made large enough, where it is fastened to F, to cover the three holes in F and G, and also to receive all that may come through them-that is, all the seed, fertilizer, and dust-and convey them to the furrow made by the plow l), which is at.-

tached to the front side of escape-pipe, at its lower extremity, by athumb-screw, so as to be let down or raised up,just according to the depth of furrow you may desire to make.

The coverer or hoe Q is fastened to the back side of the escape-pipe J by a thumb-screw in the same manner as the plow P, and on the opposite side ofthe escape-pipe J, and can be let down or raised up at pleasure by the thumbscrew. This coverer or hoe is to cover the seed in the furrow as it is dropped by the machine. The wheel C then passes over the covered furrow and makes all smooth.

R R are gages, which are made to slip under the seed-valve K and upon the bed G. These gages have a variety ofholes in them, smaller than the `holes either in the seed-valve K or bed G, and by slipping' them in more .or less just such a sized hole in the gage will come over the hole in the bed G as will be adapted to the size ofthe seed to be sown. These gages are countersunk in the bed G, and are kept in position by the plate S, fastened to bed G by screws.

The hopper I is divided into two apartments, (as see Fig.l2.) Into one oftheapartments is put the seed, and into the other the fertilizer. he

bottom of the hopper rests on the iron flanged plate H, (see Fig. 12,) and is securely fastened to it. The seed and fertilizer passes through the two holes in H (see Fig. 13) and falls onto the seed-valve K, which has an elevated rim around its sides, nearly high enough to touch the plate H, for the purpose of preventing the seed, &c., from escaping from the seed-valve K. The hopper, when attached to the iron flange-plate H, is fastened by the flanges of the plate H to the bed-piece G by screws, (as see Figs. l and 2.)

When I use my machine I put into the hopper the seed in one part and the fertilizer in the other, and, having moved the pawl along the hook-shaft to the notch that corresponds to the set of cogs in the wheel G that I wish to use, I throw the pawl into the notch, and the machine is readyfor use. I then take hold of the handles of the machine and start it along, always beingcareful to keep both wheels bearing on the ground at the same time, and as the machine moves on the pawl comesin contact with the cogsin the wheel C. The pawl is borne down, and at the same time the pawl causes the hook-shaft to turn, and consequently the hook ofthe shaft to turn obliquely in the slot b of the seed-valve, which causes the seedvalve to move so that the holes in the seedvalve will coincide with the holes in the bed G and allow a seed and some fertilizer to fall through to the furrow. The cog on the wheel C, after bearing down the pawl a little way, slips past it, and the pawl-hook, shaft, an d seedvalve are immediately brought back to its first position by the spiral spring V, attached to the hook-shaft and bed G, when the pawl is ready to be acted on by another cog.

V is a stop for the seed-valve, to keep it in position.

The handles are lifted up, so as to raise the hind wheel, C, from the ground in turning at the end of the rows.

The machine may be run backward withoutthe loss of seed.

By my invention is produced a light handmachine for sowing seed in drills, convenient to use, easy to regulate, and not liable to get out of order.

I claim- 1. In a seed-drill, the hooked rock-shaft M, in combination with the adjustable pawl N O and spiral spring V, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The seed-valve K, in combination with the bed-piece G and adjustable slides R, all constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The cogs on the side of the wheel C, in combination with the hooked rock-sh aft M, the pawl N 0, and seed-valve K, all constructed substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

GEORGE W. FARLEY. iL. S.]

Witnesses:

FRANK T. E. RICHARDSON, A. A. BALoH. 

